Encounters with the Unknown
Terrifying UFO Capture Attempt of Brazilian farmer Antonio Amador De Lima, 1979
by: Brent Raynes
Antonio Amador De Lima, 76, lived in the small northeastern Brazilian town of Santo Antonio, about fifty miles southeast of Santa Cruz. Throughout his life he had always worked long and hard hours as a farmer. That is, up until one Saturday in November 1979. It was 7 p.m. and already dark. Antonio was just finishing chores at a farm about a half mile west of town, when a strange light appeared in the sky. The light seemed to be getting closer, and having heard stories about the harrowing encounters of others with UFOs, he decided to leave for home. However, he only got a few meters when he found that a light was shining on him. He had heard that if you encounter a UFO the best thing to do was to lie down on the ground, and so he quickly did so, laying on his left side. (1)
Next the strange light came down close to him and he suddenly found himself being “pulled” about 20 inches up off of the ground. With his left hand he grabbed some kind of plant very tightly while he raised his right arm defensively to protect himself from the aerial intruder. Twisting himself around to see what was going on he noticed that something resembling a rope, with four hooks at the end had dropped down, and one of the hooks had snared the back of his shirt. Then he noticed a window with three human looking beings inside. Though they were human in appearance, they were not Brazilian he said. He described one man, with a beard, and two women with short black hair. The beings were all seated but moved their legs around. Antonio described the women as having “strange” and rather “ugly” looking faces, as wearing blouses with straps and no sleeves, whose arms were yellow colored.
At this point in the interview with American journalist Bob Pratt (with one Rogerio Freitas acting as interpreter) Antonio had to stop and regain his composure. Tears came to his eyes and he was momentarily unable to speak. The encounter had happened only about two months before.
Then Antonio continued, describing how he had heard one of the women remark, “Here is a good old man we can take with us to our earth.”
Hanging helpless in the air, afraid and crying (but afraid to shout out, fearing that it might make matters worse), he noted that the UFO looked to be cigar-shaped, was brown in color, and appeared to be twice the size of a car. After hanging onto that plant for what must have seemed like dear life for an estimated 15 minutes his shirt then tore, he fell to the ground, and he watched as the craft spun around three or four times and then, much to his relief, flew away. Immediately Antonio picked himself up from the ground and began running for home, even though he couldn’t seem to feel any real sensation in his legs. He was sick for a week afterwards and didn’t return to work again, afraid that he would be out after dark and that the UFO would return.
Twelve years later, in August 1992, Bob Pratt returned to Santo Antonio with Cynthia Newby Luce (see our interview with Cynthia in the February 2006 issue of Alternate Perceptions) and learned that Antonio had passed away back in February 1985. His granddaughter, Maria Pontes, recalled how prior to describing his frightening UFO encounter he had always worked very hard, worked long hours, and had been a strong man. But after the encounter he never worked again, and in fact aged quickly, taking to his bed only a few days afterwards, getting up only once and awhile, and never leaving the house. His appetite changed from good and hearty to where he just ate a little. He started having heart trouble, his legs swelled, and his hands trembled, and though always somewhat a picky person who got irritable if things didn’t more or less go his way, he suddenly became very difficult and at times so angry that he wouldn’t speak the rest of the day if something upset him. In addition, he didn’t like talking about his UFO encounter.
Note:
1. “It should be put that those peasants, farmers and their families were not fools. They knew nature. They were aware how helpless they were and always found ways to face their close problems. And as the UFOs came, and they became a SERIOUS PROBLEM, they increased their cares about their own security, as their ancestors would do in case of a jaguar. Although they didn’t know exactly what it was (they knew of the word “disco-voador”, flying saucer through us) they quickly observed the facts and came to their own conclusions: don’t walk alone by night; if a strange light appears at a certain distance, find a hideaway or it will come, and then will light right above you. They also observed that the phenomenon had (certain) times to appear more frequently. .....the ‘peak hours’ seemed to be from sunset to 8 p.m., more or less. Incidentally, the Brazilian Air Force officers who tried to follow the flap in North Brazil in 1977/78 (Operation Plate) verified something like a peak hour in that same period. Then some frequent sightings around 2 and 3 p.m., etc. But the ‘illiterate,’ ‘ignorant’ peasants perceived it first. Also the bluish lights were more dangerous as to burns. So they perceived UV effects without knowing what UV was.”
Email to the editor from researcher Alberto Francisco do Carmo of Brasilia, Brazil, dated April 25, 2006.
Reference:
UFO Danger Zone: Terror and Death in Brazil¬Where Next?, by Bob Pratt. 1996. Published by Horus House Press, Inc., P.O. Box 55185, Madison, Wisconsin 53705. ISBN: 1-881852-14-8.
